ياO هاجريyou who forsake me ظلماunjustly علىwith عمدdeliberate intent
يا هاجري ظلما على عمد
خذtake بيديby my hand منfrom لوعةburning anguish of الوجدِpassionate longing
خذ بيدي من لوعة الوجدِ
O you who forsake me unjustly and deliberately,
O you who unjustly deserted me,
Take me by the hand out of love's burning anguish.
Take my hand from the agony of passion.
أسرفتyou went to excess فيin حمليmaking me bear ثقلthe burden of الهوىlove
أسرفت في حملي ثقل الهوى
بقدرin proportion to إسرافكyour excess فيin الصدِshunning
بقدر إسرافك في الصدِ
You have gone too far in making me bear love's burden,
I have been excessive in carrying the burden of love,
In proportion to your excess in shunning me.
As much as you have been excessive in repudiation.
هلwill تبدلyou replace الإيعادthreats وعداa promise وهلand will
هل تبدل الإيعاد وعدا وهل
تديلyou substitute بالقربwith nearness منin place of البعدِdistance
تديل بالقرب من البعدِ
Will you replace threats with a promise, and will you
Can a promise be changed to betrayal? Can
Replace distance with nearness?
Nearness be replaced with distance?
للهto God (expressing wonder) أياميmy days التيthat أقلعتdeparted
لله أيامي التي أقلعت
عنيfrom me بإثلِby the tamarisks of القاعthe plain منin نجدِNajd
عني بإثلِ القاع من نجدِ
How wondrous were those days of mine that slipped away
By Allah, my days when I desisted
From me by the plain's tamarisks in Najd,
From you are like the rugged, barren deserts of Najd.
وللصباباتِand for ardent longings وعهدand the time of الصباyouth
وللصباباتِ وعهد الصبا
والفرطand former times السالفbygone معwith هندِHind
والفرط السالف مع هندِ
And those ardent longings, and the time of youth,
And the days of youth and the promise of youth
And the bygone days with Hind!
And the remarkable past with Hind.
ووقفةand a halt أجرعI drink down فيهاduring it الهوىlove
ووقفة أجرع فيها الهوى
عذباsweet بذاكupon that الأجرعsandy rise الفردِsolitary
عذبا بذاك الأجرع الفردِ
And a halt where I drank in love,
And the stance in which passion intoxicated me
Sweet, upon that solitary sandy rise,
With sweetness, that unique intoxication.
معwith كلevery خودtender maiden إِنif تثنتshe swayed ثنتshe bent
مع كل خود إِن تثنت ثنت
عزيمةthe resolve of المصطبرthe steadfast man الجلدِthe stalwart
عزيمة المصطبر الجلدِ
With every tender maiden who, if she swayed, bent
With every cheek, if it turns away, it turns away
The resolve of the steadfast, stalwart man;
The resolve of the patient, firm one.
صاحيةsober منfrom نشواتintoxications of الهوىlove
صاحية من نشوات الهوى
سكرانةdrunken المقلةthe eye والقدِand the figure
سكرانة المقلة والقدِ
Sober from love's intoxications,
Awake from the languors of passion,
Yet drunken in eye and figure;
Intoxicated, with eyes and build drunk.
ذاتpossessing ثناياfront teeth اقحوانيةchrysanthemum-like
ذات ثنايا اقحوانية
ووجنةand a cheek حمراءred كالوردlike roses
ووجنة حمراء كالورد
With front teeth like chrysanthemums,
Of supple, delicate physique
And a cheek red as a rose;
And cheeks as rosy as a rose.
ِتسبلshe lets fall عندduring المشيءwalking جعداcurly hair علىover
ِتسبل عند المشيء جعدا على
مثلlike الكثيبthe sand dune المائرundulating الجعدِdensely heaped
مثل الكثيب المائر الجعدِ
She lets her curls fall, as she walks, over
She lets down, when walking, curled hair upon
A form like an undulating, heaped-up sand dune.
Mounds like the waving, curled sand dune.
كمhow much لغليلfor the burning thirst of الصبthe lovesick lover فيin ثغرهاher mouth
كم لغليل الصب في ثغرها
منof بردhail شافhealing ومنand of بردِcoolness
من برد شاف ومن بردِ
How much her mouth holds for the lover's burning thirst
How much anguish of passion is in her mouth
Of healing hail, and of coolness!
Of cool, healing and coolness.
إنif أزمعتshe resolved upon هجراforsaking فوجديthen my longing بهاfor her
إن أزمعت هجرا فوجدي بها
وجدlonging خدينthe intimate companion of المجدglory بالحمدِfor praise
وجد خدين المجد بالحمدِ
If she resolves to forsake me, my longing for her
If you intend to abandon, then feel with it
Is glory's companion's longing for praise.
The passion of one whose glory is in praise.
علقتI became attached منهfrom him بقريبto one near الندىin generosity
علقت منه بقريب الندى
نائيfar المدىof reach مقتسمshared out الرفدِbounty
نائي المدى مقتسم الرفدِ
I have become attached to him, whose bounty is close at hand,
I have been distracted from it by a vision of dew
Far-reaching, his gifts shared out;
Far, but sharing sustenance.
مهذبrefined ضربlean and wiry لهhe has عزمةa firm resolve
مهذب ضرب له عزمة
تفلblunts غربthe edge of الصارمthe keen sword المهنديIndian-made
تفل غرب الصارم المهندي
Refined and wiry, he has a resolve
Well-mannered, whose determination
That blunts the edge of the keen Indian sword;
Spits upon the west of the Indian sword.
سابقoutstripping فراطthe frontrunners of الكرامthe noble men الألسwho (likely الأُلى)
سابق فراط الكرام الألس
سعواthey strove فحازواand so they won قصبthe prize-reed of المجدِglory
سعوا فحازوا قصب المجدِ
Outstripping the foremost of the noble men [who]
Preceding, excelling the generous ones,
Strove and won glory's prize-reed.
They strove, and so attained the forefront of glory.
ذوpossessing صفحةa face تنديgrows dewy بماءwith the water of الحياmodesty
ذو صفحة تندي بماء الحيا
ولفحةand a blast محرقةscorching الوقدِflame
ولفحة محرقة الوقدِ
He has a face bedewed with modesty's water,
One whose cheek gives life with the water of life,
And a blast of scorching flame;
And a brow scorching with fire.
ممدحmuch praised يعرفrecognizes معروفهhis kindness
ممدح يعرف معروفه
لقاصديهfor those who seek him حرمةthe sanctity of القصدِseeking
لقاصديه حرمة القصدِ
Much praised is he; his kindness recognizes
One praised who knows his duty to the praiseworthy
For those who seek him, the sanctity of their seeking.
And respects the purpose of those who visit him.
لهhe has أيادfavors غيرnot معدودةcounted
له أياد غير معدودة
والقطرand rain لاnot يحصرis reckoned بالعدِّby counting
والقطر لا يحصر بالعدِّ
His favors are beyond number,
He has countless gifts
And rain cannot be reckoned by counting.
And rain cannot be limited by counting.